Neji x Reader (OC): We Are No Longer Strangers
by SiRiK080
Summary: One kunoichi was requested from a small village by Konoha to assist them. Strange. Clueless, Hyuga Neji reluctantly decides to help Azusa. But is it really reluctant anymore?
1. Who Are You?

Not from Konoha, Azusa was of the Star Village. She was a little above average for a Chunin about to take the Jonin exams, so Azusa was requested by Konoha to handle a mission. She walking, growing impatient and no one seemed to notice of her.

She came across what looked like the Training Grounds and she sighed in relief, thinking maybe she'd see another ninja around there.  
She fixed her hair and came a little closer. Azusa heard someone grunting and the sound of movement. Someone shouted popular forms of Gentle Fist. She silently watched the man. He looked fairly tall and had blank, pale eyes without pupils. He had strange wrinkles around them. His long, dark, brown hair was tied in a pony tail towards the end, not including his side-bangs. His shirt was thrown to the side and the girl watched him coordinate his pale skin in a fighting-style she'd never seen before.

The Star Village was a small village and Azusa didn't know much of others. This man clearly seemed to be familiar with area, she just knew. He was a ninja. She saw his headband near his white shirt and bag. Where Azusa comes from, she doesn't see too many very good-looking men, but this man here stood out so much in her azure eyes.  
The girl stared at his movements. He was so... precise. After some time of staring, telling herself she was doing it to understand his fighting-style. He soon stopped and stood still; breathing heavily. His hands to his sides, he had no expression on his face and the wrinkles around his eyes disappeared. He didn't face the new girl, but she understood he knew she was there the entire time. She became worried, not knowing if it were safe for him to notice Azusa's presence. She was about to run but he appeared in front of her. She gasped lightly in shock and tripped backwards; falling out of the tree she was hiding in. He caught her. He never realized himself that he did such thing for someone he didn't know at all. His arms were stronger than the alien girl expected, but they were comfortable.

He let her go shortly and questioned himself as to why he decided to help this woman at all. She stood up straight, still no expression on his face or her's. He spoke after noticing the girl's headband, his tone not so friendly,

"Who are you? Why have you come from the Star Village? You have no permission to be here."

The girl raised an eyebrow, his sweat making him glisten as the sun was shining, "My name is not of your concern. I have been requested by Konoha for some mission I have not yet received .. I am to go to the Hokage's office tomorrow. I came here to look for any ninja who could inform me on this village." Azusa showed him her card, letting him know she had permission to be in Konoha.

"Hm... Inform you on what, exactly?" he walked to his belongings and pulled out a water bottle from his bag.

"Maybe where that is? And like I said, I am to go there tomorrow. Meaning I need to know where I would be able to rest for one night. Then again, different ninjas, different fighting-styles. I want to train."

"Hm," he drank from his bottle and set it down. The odd, yet attractive-looking man considered all of the girl's words before getting into his fighting-pose, "Come. I will be your training partner."


	2. I Will Not Leave You To Be Alone

The two shinobi trained for hours and Azusa continued to lose the sparing matches. Every time she fell, the man she was with would lend a hand to her and help her up. She couldn't seem to win. It almost felt like he was psychic; as if he knew what she was doing no matter what she was doing.  
Azusa just met this man, but he didn't really feel like stranger. Still, not a friend either. He was quiet when it came to chatting, he didn't do it often. When he did, they were short comments. She wanted to talk with him more instead of train. He was the most intriguing person she had ever met. What were those eyes of his? His hair, why did it suit him so perfectly? He may be a ninja with baggy clothing, but it didn't badly affect his techniques. The girl knew he didn't want to stop with the spar. Azusa continued to fight him until it was past early evening and suddenly stopped in her tracks.  
The long-haired shinobi realized something was wrong quickly.  
"It is getting late, is it not?"  
She just nodded. It just came to her that she had no place to stay for the night.  
The wrinkles around the man's eyes disappeared.  
"Do you have a place to stay? I remembered how you said you needed a place to rest for one night."  
Azusa looked at him with no expression, but he understood what that meant.  
"Come, then-" he stopped himself. He still didn't know her name. "...Your name, what was it again?... "  
She raised an eyebrow, "I always thought it was rude to not address yourself first," she smirked.  
He didn't like her remark, "Azusa..."

"Azusa...Just Azusa..."

He nodded softly, "I am Hyuga Neji," he said reluctantly.  
She apprehended his words... _Hyuga,_ she thought, _Where have I heard that name before?_

Neji spoke, interrupting her thoughts as he walked towards his bag. He took a towel and dried himself with it. He drank the rest of the water from the bottle.

"The Hyuga compound is fairly large. You don't seem like you would cause any trouble. You may stay for one night, if you must," he didn't face her as he spoke.

Surprised, yet happy he would offer such a thing, Azusa smiled. It didn't seem like him to be kind at all. She then realized he must have a kind heart, but is hurt in the inside.

"I would be honored, thank you, Neji-San," She replied casually.

The two walked towards the Hyuga Compound without a word to be spoken. Once arriving there, he gestured for the girl to wait outside as he discussed the situation with Hiashi-Sama. They started to shout and Neji's deep voice became frightening. He walked out as if nothing happened and he started to walk slowly. She watched him leave. Then he stopped,

"Well? Are you coming?...," he said with a quiet, deep voice.

Azusa's green eyes widened. _Why would he try this hard for me? It makes no sense! After all, he's still a stranger. What am I to him? He must have much more important things to worry about! I did nothing for him to care like this. I don't… I don't like it! But… Only for his own good…_

She hurriedly walked closer to him. He actually started to talk.

"Azusa... Hiashi-Sama...," Neji said regretfully.

"I think I understand. Neji-San; I will be alright. If I am not welcomed, I can find somewhere else to stay, whatever." the grateful girl replied with a shrug.

"No... Come."

They walked for only a couple minutes until Neji suddenly stopped, putting a hand around his stomach. His white shirt was growing red.  
Azusa gasped,

"Neji-San!" She was worried about him. He claimed he could stand up on his own, but she put his arm around her shoulder and helped hold him up. Azusa leaned him against the walls of the Hyuga Compound, with him sitting on the ground. She saw the red,

"What happened? You didn't seem hurt at all and now you're wounded?..." she told him as she removed his shirt hesitantly while blushing (he never noticed it), put cold water on a clean rag, and patted the wound with it.

"I... I recently came back from a mission. I almost failed it... I may have succeeded, but I was wounded. Our training didn't help me heal...," he said, hiding a regretful tone.

"You trained so that something like that wouldn't happen again, hm?"

"..."

"I understand." Azusa sighed while wrapping the wound in a bandage around his stomach.

"And I can't even help you," he said, his tone not quite angered, but irritated.

The girl smiled ever-so slightly and leaned in closer, her lips to his ears, she whispered,

"I shouldn't be your priority...," then nuzzled the side of his head.

He blushed softly, but it quickly disappeared. It didn't matter though, Azusa never noticed it and neither did he himself.

"I will stay with you... Azusa-San. I will not leave you to be alone." he said as he stroked her long, dark brown hair.


End file.
